Latch needle



May 1-7;? 1927. 1,629,275

E. c; KENNEDY v LATCH NEEDLE Filed March 50; 1925 m/l/f/vrofi I w/r/ygss: I

.v Edward 61 1 67772601 Patented M... 17-, 1927."

. UNITEDiSTATES' PATENT oFFIcs.

EDWARD o. xENtTEnY, e NEWARK, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR TO THE rolmmeron cor/r rm, or roanme'ron, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION or oomvncrrou'r.

LATCH NEEDLE.

Application filed March 30, 1925. Serial No. 19,270.

' In the operation of knitting machines equippedv with theordinary latch needles, much ditficultyarises in the production of perfect fabric. There are also serious limita- 5 tions with respect to the effects that can be produced on fine hook needles and with respect to the different sizes of yarn that can be used without changing the needles or the cut ofv th cylinder. These defects and limitations, so far as they are recognized to be due to the construction of the needle, are generally deemed to be inherent in latch needles; notwithstanding which this type 'of needle is almost universally used, due to its many advantages.

Among the defects in fabric knit onlatch needle-machines may be mentioned the product-ion of holes in the fabric, the occurrence ofzdrop stitches, and. the roughness of and Weakness in the fabricadue to the abrasion of the thread or'the' cutting of the individual strands of which .a thread may be composed.-

In plaiting there is often a tendency to a reversal of the positions of the thread, resulting in the production of imperfect goods. The ordinary latch needle of a given size can accommodate different sized yarnwithin' onlya very narrow range, thus restricting the scope of work that can be produced on 0 a single machine without going to the expense of changing needles or altering the gauge of the machine. With fine hook needles it would be possible to produce many new effects if such needles were not strictly limited to handling correspondingly fine I affect the fineness and efliciency of any given yarns.

'Pr'olonged experiment satisfied me that these defects and limitations are not inherent in latch needles, but are due to the sharp V 0 angle, formed between the shank of the needle and the latch when the latter is closed against the hook, and also to the relatively short distance between the angle of the V and the hook. In general, the finer the needle, the sharper the acuteness of the angle. My efforts, therefore, were directed to the production of a needle having structural features which, without reduction in the hook or any modification that would size of needle, would reduce the acuteness of the angle between the needle shank and posing face of the latch.

the length of the latch or enlargement of ment of the invention.

The needle comprises the shank a, the hook I), and the pivoted latch 0 provided with a spoon (Z. The invention is capable of embodiment 'in a needlehaving 'an ordinary shank and hook, but it is distinctly advantageous. to i modify the contour of the inner face of the shank so that, beyond the convexity which exists in the ordinary needle shan cavity .which issubstantially below, and ink opposite the axis of the hook, there is a condependentyof, the concavity of the hook 3 proper. In other words, theshank of the latch knitting needle is formed with a latch pivoting jaw or supporting portion and has a reduced extension with a hooked end.

This permits that part of the innerface of the shank above the latch pivot to have a somewhat less acute angle to the inner op- This convexoconcave portion of the inner face of the shank is indicated by the reference letters 'w and w.

The principal feature of the improved needle resides in the contpur of the latch. The outer face of the latch and its spoon need not be different from the ordinary latch, but the inner face of the latch below the spoon (namely, that face which opposes the shank of the needle below the hook and above the latch pivot) has a distinctly convexo-concave contour. The convex contour starts approximately opposite the latch pivot, but extends for a short distance. Beyond this short convex contour, the contour is distinctly concave. Th'e'concavity may extend entirely up to the soon, but it need not extend that far. Pre erably the lower end of the concavity begins at, near or below the point of the angle that the latch'forms I with the shank when the latch is closed.

This conveXo-c'oncave portion of the latclris approximates a U-shape rather than a sharp V-shape. It will also be observed that the distance between the crotch ofthe angle and the hook is substantially increased, and a comparatively roomy space is afforded between needle shank and latch immediately above the point of intersection of their inner faces. p I

Certain important advantages of my improved latch needle, as compared with the latch sneedle of ordinary construction, will now be described. No attempt will be made to develop exhaustiyelyall its minorv advantages. a

In the case of the ordinary latch needle, after theyarn is fed over the needle and the needle starts on its downw'ard'movement, the

latch begins to close and in so doing the V shape referred to is formed too rapidly,

' which, in effect, has the same result as a pa r ofshears 1n cutting the yarn, except in the caseof soft'well oiled yarnsof great elastic-' ity, when the V pinches the ends of the fibres, causing the yarn to either break or tear, thus producing holes. centage of waste resulting from such has made it heretofore impracticable to knit certain classes of fabrics with many yarns which could have been more economically employed. My improved latch, in closing, has no shearing effect, due to the great angularity between shank and latch and the consequentslowness in closing and the increased distance'between the point of the angleand the hook whenthe latch is closed. It will be noted that the pivoted hook closing latch, when closed, provides a substantially straight line 100 escape guide. The c acave portion in t e inner face of the shank and the concave portion and the inner face of the latch adjacent their point of intersection, together with this increased distance from the point of the angle and the hook when the latch is closed, form a relatively long yarn eye having an enlarged base portion.

room, when the latch is closed, to allow for the unevenness and lack of smoothness in yarns, thereby preventing the latch from the variation in the diameter of the yarns be The high perholes Drop stitches arise from lack of sufficient brought about by ing too great for the yarn when the latch is closed, while the lack of smoothness in yarns permits the ends of the fibres to lodge between the latch and side of the saw-slot, causing the latch to bind or space allowed for the stiffen and stopping the free movement reyarn lS composed, are severed by the scissors action of the latch and shank hereinbefore explained. With my improved needle, this action is substantially avoided, and a perfectly smooth fabric is produced.

In plaiting, it is diflicult, with the ordi-v nary needle, to produce smooth'and even work. On the ordinary needle, as thelatch closes to allow forthe loop or stitch to be cast off, the inside surface of thelatch has a decided tendency to rub or roll the threads thus changing theirproper positions in relation to one another,-wh1ch posltlons are necessary to accomplish proper plaiting.

My improved needle allows freedom for the thread already held by the needle as the stitch is being formed. By removing the bearing of the latch on the threads, the de- I scribed rolling effect is overcome, and there is no unevenness in the finished fabric.

The additional space, measured bothlongitudirfally and transversely, and especially with the comparativelyample room-affordedin the angle between shank and latch, permit the use of a much wider range in the size of yarns that can be used without chang ing the needles or the gauge of the machine.

This greatly enlarges the scope'of the work that can be economically produced on one machine. c

The number of'eftects that can be produced on fine hook needles of ordinary construction is strictly limited, due to inability to utilize relatively large size yarn with relatively fine hook needles. It is obvious that my improved needle. permits, within a wide range, a considerable variation in the weight of yarn that can be knit by the same needles in the same fabric, thereby greatly increasing the capacity of the needles to pro-- duce different effects.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is a 1. A latch knitting needle comprising a shank formed with a latch-pivoting jaw and having a reduced extension with a hooked end, and a pivoted hook-closing latch adapted to provide a substantially straight line iv latch to provide a free-yarn space between loop escape guide, the portionlof said ex tension which is adjacent' to said latch-pivoting" jaw being spaced-away from the closed them adjacent their intersection.

2. latehi knitting needle comprising a shank formed with a latch pivoting} support ing portion and having. an extension therepoints of intersection-being spaced away from each other whenthe' latch is closed so' as to provide a relatively wide free yarn space between them'jadjacent their inter-;

' has an enlargedbase, portion forming" a relsection.

3. A latch. knitting needle comprising a" shank formed witha latch pivoting supportving portion and havin an extension with a' hooked end, a-pivot'ed ook closing latch se- "straight line loop escape guide,' one of the cured-to said latch supporting portion of the shank andadapted to provide asu'bstantially.

adjacent faces of the, latch andthe shank from or slightl below the 'oint of intersec ti'on ofthe ad acent faces I eing concave "so as to provide, when the latch is cl'osed,"a rel- I ativelywide free .yarn space between them-- adjacent their intersection. 4. A latch knittin -needle-'compris'ing. a-

a shank formed with a atch pivoting supporting portion and having an extension with a v hooked end, a pivoted hook closing latch se-' cured to said latchsupporting portion of the shank and adapted to provide a substantial.- ly straight line loop esca e 'guide,'the inner face of the extension an the inner face of on this 17th the latch at and above their points of intersection being spaced away from e'achother when thelatch' isiclosed to provide alreL portion adjacent said point of intersecshank formed with a ahooked end, a pivoted hook closing latch secured to said latch supporting portion of the shank and'adap'ted to providea substan- T 'tially straight line loop escaping guide, the

large free'yarn space. latch knitting needle comprising a gtively long-yarn eye having an enlarged 'ase tion;

5. A'latch knitting needle comprising a atch'pivoting support ing portionand having an extension with J 50 55 faces of-the t h s nkzto a point wellabove sai'dj t being. con; i I

shank forrhed with a latch pivoting support-.- ing portion and having andextenslon'w tha hooked end,a pivoted hook closing latch secared to said latch supporting portion of the shank and ada ted'to provide a substantially straight line oop escape guide, the {inner face of the shank adjacent the intersection 5 ,thereof in the inner face of the latch having f a concavo-convex contour, and the inner face "of thelatch immediatelyabove and below its pointof intersection with theflinner face of theshank being concave-in contour, whereby V I when {the latch is closed, a. relatively wide free yarn space betweenfthe latch and shank is formed In testimony of'which invention, Ihave hereunto set my hand: at Newark, Dela-ware,-

day of M arch,1925.-

EDWARD (IL-KENNEDY: 

